The Remains of the Day
by strangecandy
Summary: Ever since the opening of the demon dimension, whispers have started filling the dreams of a soul who would not hesitate to use the knowledge gained from the voices. (The prologue is full of information about what has happened, so do not be frightened by


Disclaimer - I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures.  
  
A.N. - I just want to say that I am sorry to anyone about my twisting of Chinese legend. It just fits the story. If you don't like it, then don't read it.  
Don't worry about all the erroneous details. I am pretty sure they will come into play later in the story, if all goes according to the plot in my head.   
  
Chinese legend tells of eight men and women to whom something miraculous happened, and was thought never to have been recreated.  
Zhuang-li Quan was the chief the chief of this group, better known as the Eight Immortals. He had many powers, as well as the knowledge of the elixir of life. He managed to defeat Xiao Fung, the demon sorcerer of the wind with the aid of his symbol, the fan.  
Lu Dong-bin was a scholar, as well as a pupil of Zhuang-li Quan. He had a magical sword that allowed him to travel the earth, slaying dragons and fighting evil. He defeated Shendu, a dragon demon that lorded over fire.  
Another of this group was Li Tie-guai. He had great skill with magic, which allowed him to aid others in the celestial realm. During one of these travels, a disciple of his, thinking that he was dead, burned his body. When he returned from his (A.N. – I am interpreting this as astral projection.) travels, he was forced to take the body of a beggar. Luckily enough, it was with the symbol from this body, a beggar's gourd, which enabled him to defeat Bai Tza, the water demon.   
Reputed to have been the brother of an empress, Cao Gou-Jiu was the patron saint of actors. He was also the son of a military commander. His symbol, the castanets was thought to have come from his pass that allowed him free access to the palace. The castanets also allowed him to defeat Tchang Zu, the demon sorcerer of thunder.  
Lan Cai-He is one of the two female immortals (A.N. – Lan Cai-He's gender is somewhat uncertain.). She is said to have wandered the streets as a beggar while singing a song about the brevity of mortal life. Her symbol, a basket of flowers, was to remind people of the transience of mortal life. It also allowed her to defeat Dai Gui, the earth demon (A.N. – In JCA, it was just a single flower with a hair of ewe tied around it, I know.).  
With his white mule, Zhang Guo-lao was able to go incredible distances, then fold his mule and place it in a wallet. With the addition of water, the mule would be able to be travel once again. He defeated Po Kong, the mountain demon, with his symbol, the drum.  
Han Xiang-zi was thought to have been the nephew of a famous scholar. He had an unusual skill, one of making flowers bloom instantly. He was the patron saint of musicians, and with his flute, he defeated His Wu, demon of the sky.  
The last of this group is He Xian-gu. She supposedly ate a magic peach and became a fairy. Her immortality was thought to have come from a diet of powdered mother-of-pearl and moonbeams. With her symbol, the lotus, she defeated the last demon sorcerer, Tso Lan, the demon of the moon.  
With the banishment of each demon sorcerer, the balance of the universe tilted in favor of good, but unfortunately, it made way for an even greater evil, and one did come.   
The dark ones attempted to bring together the Twelve Symbols of Sovereignty (A.N. – I just realized it was 12, like the talismans. These symbols exist though, and the likeness is unintentional.) to gain a hold on China, then the world.   
The dark ones had captured all but one of the Twelve Symbols, which was held by Zhuang-li Quan. The fate of the world came down to a final battle between good and evil. The Eight Immortals faced the dark ones and managed to banish them from the mortal realm, but at the cost of their own immortality, as well as their lives.  
With his last remaining strength, Zhuang-li Quan transfigured each of the symbols, and with their combined strength, the Immortals scattered the items all across the globe.   
The Immortals were celebrated for their sacrifice, and the names of the dark ones were never uttered again, or fear of their return. Their names and that battle were lost in the sands of time… Or so it was thought.  
Someone has rediscovered all that was intentionally forgotten, but not on his (or her) own. The opening of the demon dimension left a tiny tear in the veil that separates all realities. Whispers of this knowledge seep through to a soul who would not hesitate to use it.  
  
A.N. – Well, it's short, but that's intentional, as well as the cloak of mystery surrounding the dark ones and the tormented soul. It is a prologue, after all. ^_^  
There are a few original characters, but they only play minor roles, just to move the story along. The only major ones are the dark ones. Who are the dark ones, you ask. Well, you'll just have to wait for more chapters to find out.  
Oh, yeah! Can you all R/R as well? The story quality depends on if people like this. I'm sure I'll finish, it's just how much effort goes into depends on all of you.  
I will try to get a chapter out each week. 


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